26 THE BOOK OF BUTTER 



If it does become stale, it should be treated with a dis- 

 infectant. The one usually applied is a saturated solu- 

 tion of lime-water. Stronger disinfectants may be em- 

 ployed if care is exercised in rinsing the churn after the 

 cleaning process. 



If a churn has not been employed for several weeks or 

 months, or if a churn is new, it may be soaked by putting 

 water-tight utensils, such as pails and tubs, in the churn, 

 which may be filled with boiling water. The steam from 

 the boiling water will soon swell the wood and thus make 

 the churn cream-tight. If the pails, tubs, and the like, 

 are refilled every hour or so, a churn may be soaked 

 cream-tight within a day, even though it was badly dried. 

 If the water is put in an unsoaked churn before it has been 

 steamed, much water is likely to be wasted and several 

 days will be required to soak it. 



A new churn should be thoroughly scalded to cleanse 

 it ; also the heat of the boiling water will open the pores of 

 the wood, thus freeing some of the woody flavor. It is the 

 custom in some creameries to put buttermilk or skimmed- 

 milk in a new churn to absorb some of the flavor of the 

 wood. It is wise to put the milk in the churn in the morn- 

 ing, and occasionally during the day the churn should be 

 revolved to bring the milk in contact with all the interior 

 parts. A good plan is to leave either buttermilk or 

 skimmed-milk in the churn overnight. 



22. Cleaning the test- ware. After the tests have 

 been completed, the remaining portions of the samples of 

 cream and butter should not be thrown away and thus 

 wasted. In case of composite samples, when a preserv- 

 ative is employed, it is not possible to save the sample ; 

 however, in many creameries where daily tests are made 

 no preservative is used. The left-over portions of the 



